Genesis Black Magic

I strung up a set of Black Magic at 48x46 lbs after reading this thread and now have about 6 sets on it.

Last night the stringbed suddenly changed. It has played comfortably since fresh but I thought I could feel it getting loose, then last night it seemed to tighten up and played firmer and a little more solid.

Has anyone else experienced this with Black Magic ? I'm not sure if it has become "firmer" or if it has "settled" at a really low tension and that being a tension I haven't experienced before. Instead of cutting it I'm going to play it for awhile longer.

I strung up a set of Black Magic at 48x46 lbs after reading this thread and now have about 6 sets on it.

Last night the stringbed suddenly changed. It has played comfortably since fresh but I thought I could feel it getting loose, then last night it seemed to tighten up and played firmer and a little more solid.

Has anyone else experienced this with Black Magic ? I'm not sure if it has become "firmer" or if it has "settled" at a really low tension and that being a tension I haven't experienced before. Instead of cutting it I'm going to play it for awhile longer.

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Did the weather got any colder compare to the other days you used it before?

I strung up a set of Black Magic at 48x46 lbs after reading this thread and now have about 6 sets on it.

Last night the stringbed suddenly changed. It has played comfortably since fresh but I thought I could feel it getting loose, then last night it seemed to tighten up and played firmer and a little more solid.

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I wouldn't disagree with your experiences. BM does lose tension over time before settling and obviously with hitting, it will lose its elasticty and the string itself will feel stiffer on the way to going dead.

I tend to cut mine out around the 6 hour mark. It's still sort of playable but the performance just isn't there anymore IMO. And as the string stiffens, you lose a element of feel and forgiveness. That's my gripe with this string - plays great when fresh(ish) but performance is relatively short lived before the string starts losing its (Black) magic and goes dead.

Personally, I prefer it at 52lbs - that's the tension that works for me - but horses for courses really. Depends on how you play, what your equipment setup is etc.

I tried BM full bed @60 lbs on a YT IG prestige mid. Initially I thought it was a great string b/c of the comfort level but that soon changed after playing points. I couldn't feel the ball on the racquet so I couldn't tell how hard I was hitting the ball so I lost control of depth. Spin was good though. As a fan of softer poly's I thought this would be right up my alley with all of the comments, unfortunately (since the price is so good) I find it doesn't have the control I am looking for. One word I would you to describe it is "mushy" even @ 60 lbs.

I got a set of black magic today from string forum to test out. I have only hit once with it but I am very impressed with this string.

It has a great feel to it and very good spin, but the best part is the control. I am very picky about depth control, I hit a high looping ball and if I have just a little to much spring in my string bed I will hit to many balls long.

But I had no problem with BM, it has precision like control similar to my kevlar hybrid that I am using but with a much better feel.
I am trying to get away from the kevlar that I have been using and have tested out black widow and weiss cannon SS and other low powered poly strings to find a good controllable substitute, and so far none of them have worked well enough to make the change.

If this first hit performance of BM can last for a while it looks like I could have a winner. I was hitting around and switching back and forth between my kevlar hybrid and the 17 gauge BM and I had the same control with both, which I have not found with other poly strings.

I cannot wait to put some more hours on this string and try a few more sets of it.

Anyone have this as a full job in an 18x20? I am thinking about going there since I have a set of 17 just sitting in my house.

I want a lot of control. Was thinking of going 50/48..never really knew which was better for control - higher crosses or mains..or does it matter much?

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Power Player please let me know how the test goes. if it's a soft string as they say at 50/48 it should be fine but even if you go a couple of Lbs lower it would not not change much. with Scorpion I play at 48 and tour bite 46

I always go cheap first. I also really like the control of black magic. Its all about control for me in the Blade.

Tmano, I will for sure. I may string it up tonight. I remember having it in a TGK prestige Mid and it was incredible pocketing.

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Thank you!
iterested because I use a Microgel prestige MP and I have not found my string yet...... many good strings but not the one! if in a full be it's a little more powerful than scorpion or tour bite with se same contol it might be it!

interested because I use a Microgel prestige MP and I have not found my string yet...... many good strings but not the one! if in a full bed it's a little more powerful than scorpion or tour bite with se same contol it might be it!

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I used to have a Youtek Prestige MP which I had leaded up at 3/9/12 to polarize it a bit more.

Scorpion worked well with it, but Scorpion for me, goes dead pretty quick and it loses alot of its characteristics when it does so.

If you want spin, BHB7 produced unbelievable amount of spin in the MP, with a good dose of power, at the expense of a springy stringbed (definitely not good for volleys).

I suspect Black Magic would work pretty well too. It has almost as much spin as BHB7 but with the control of Scorpion but with an additional X factor thrown in comprising of feel, adjustabilty, comfort, reasonable power etc. I just think its a great all round package. For me, it has a good balance of everything except longevity.

It's also responds very well to different string differential setups. I tried the following (albeit in a different stick - Wilson BLX JP 96/16x20) and it produces different results depending on what you want to achieve from the stringbed.

53/52 CP - flatter hitting setup, with more ability to hit through the court, at the expense of spin.

Been using it for everthing since I first posted in this thread - tournaments, competitions, drills, practise etc. Have been adjusting tensions at various times to find the optimum setup. Am on my 2nd reel of 17 - it's become my primary string - though I have a couple of sets of 16 which I've yet to try out.

It just seems to offer a bit more bite and control than BHBR16 (the other string I've been primarily using prior to this). I actually prefer the feel of BHBR16 but you don't quite feel that you can guide the ball in quite the same way with BHBR16 as you can with Black Magic.

Also, when fresh, it has more bite and grab on the ball than BHBR16 which is useful for taking free points on serve or setting up the subsequent point. Unforced errors are lower, balls that might have previously gone fractionally wide or long, stay in, though I've obviously changed racquets in the meantime from a closed 6.1 to a mostly open Juice Pro, so I can't say its just down to the string. That said, I've been playing with both BHBR16 and Black Magic in the Juice Pro. Results-wise, I prefer the later

I used to have a Youtek Prestige MP which I had leaded up at 3/9/12 to polarize it a bit more.

Scorpion worked well with it, but Scorpion for me, goes dead pretty quick and it loses alot of its characteristics when it does so.

If you want spin, BHB7 produced unbelievable amount of spin in the MP, with a good dose of power, at the expense of a springy stringbed (definitely not good for volleys).

I suspect Black Magic would work pretty well too. It has almost as much spin as BHB7 but with the control of Scorpion but with an additional X factor thrown in comprising of feel, adjustabilty, comfort, reasonable power etc. I just think its a great all round package. For me, it has a good balance of everything except longevity.

It's also responds very well to different string differential setups. I tried the following (albeit in a different stick - Wilson BLX JP 96/16x20) and it produces different results depending on what you want to achieve from the stringbed.

53/52 CP - flatter hitting setup, with more ability to hit through the court, at the expense of spin.

53/53 CP - a good balance between spin and flat hitting. More control orientated due to lower power.

52/52 CP - noticeable addition of power when fresh.

I'm surprised at how well this string respond to fine adjustments in tension.

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thanks Torres for your info!really helpful. I'm actually not looking in particular for a spinny string because I don't have issue generating it but rather something a tad softer the tourbite with little more feel and a bit more power for when I need it.........I asked nothing.. right ?
I bet that with a different string pattern scorpion and tour bite would work better for me.
however, I if i don't find what I want I might have to tray to lower the gauge of the string...I don't really want to go lower than 1.22(scorpion) but maybe.
Talking about scorpion 1.22, does it feel and look bigger that 1.22?

1.22 is 1.22. Doesn't play thin, doesn't play 'fat' either. Like baby bear's porridge, the gauge feels just right for that string (when fresh).

If you want feel and bit of power, try Black Widow 16. For a poly, it just has superb feel if you like that 'ball sinking into the strings' sensation with some crispness. Just up the tension if you want great stringbed firmness.

If you don't like a poly that that's soft, but don't want something as hard as Tour Bite and are not bothered by lack of spin, then Discho Iontec 1.20mm would be worth a go. It's a bit like a firmer version of Scorpion but nowhere near Tour Bite stiff.

1.22 is 1.22. Doesn't play thin, doesn't play 'fat' either. Like baby bear's porridge, the gauge feels just right for that string (when fresh).

If you want feel and bit of power, try Black Widow 16. For a poly, it just has superb feel if you like that 'ball sinking into the strings' sensation with some crispness. Just up the tension if you want great stringbed firmness.

If you don't like a poly that that's soft, but don't want something as hard as Tour Bite and are not bothered by lack of spin, then Discho Iontec 1.20mm would be worth a go. It's a bit like a firmer version of Scorpion but nowhere near Tour Bite stiff.

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No, I meant that to me it really seams to be bigger than 1.22. It look like a 1.25 or 1.26 to me

I hit with BM strung up at 50/48 and there is no doubt this string plays fantastic. It puts off a lot of spin..really heavy balls, but i prefer a boardy setup. I can explain this as well.

With the bm, i have to brush the ball more. The softness of the string makes the ball sail a lot more than the controlling setup of 4g/ogsm. I can also string the ogsm and 4g tighter. I do not get the same amount of spin as with the black magic, but i still get plenty and can hit a lot cleaner and through the ball. Hitting with that much spin sacrifices pace and gets rather tiring after a while too.

I found myself going more western and really whipping over the ball tonight with the BM. The resulting ball was real heavy, but flattening out shots was tougher. This is more of a problem on my backhand which i tend to hit rather flat and need that control. I also can hit a lot more precisely with my normal setup. Any setup where i am going too western is a red flag for me, since i prefer setups that allow me to hit in a semi western.

So from this i learned that soft polys just are not for me. It is really personal preference. The boardy setup just is what i like. I love the feel of syn gut crosses and an 18x20 pattern. If you dont and love soft polys, the black magic is still one of the best options out there bar none.

well today i tried BM 1.23 with kind of high expectation having read so many great reviews. before to go ahead i want to say that i mostly play with round string like scorpion, big hitter silver, babolat pro hurricane around 47lbs. I strung BM at 45lb on a microgel prestige mp and i honestly have to say that it did not impress me at all. actually i was disappointed. this string was in my opinion the lowest powerful string i have tried so far. i like low power string and i played with many but this string bits all of them. as far as spin it was maybe below average and i don't have issue to produce spin at all. also notice that the serve lost lots of speed.... however it's has a good control and very comfortable.
at the same price big hitter silver performs way better in every aspects.

My review of genesis black magic 16
I'm a 30+ year old man who has played tennis since about the age of 5.
The three racquets I use the most are the Head Prestige Mid, Babolat Pure Storm Tour, and the Wilson prostaff six one 95. I play a mostly baseline game with average spin, focusing more on consistency and placement. I buy most of my strings from Tennis warehouse, this string I heard about through talk tennis.

Strung the prestige mid at 58 lbs, babolat at 60 lbs lockout. It was easy to weave this string compared to many other polys, but obviously more time consuming than ordinary synthetic gut. The feel of the string is close to RPM blast, smooth and slick.

Power- The string provided a lot of power. I noticed this particularly on my flat and kick serves with most serves hitting higher on the back fence. Flat ground strokes were excellent. String pocketed the ball before the ball fired. Hitting against a college player, I noticed good pocketing of the ball on the returns of hard shots. The power was not excessive...definitely much more muted than gut or gamma live wire.

Spin- The spin factor was average. I didn't notice a lot of extra kick on the serve. In comparison to Solinco tour bite there was less spin generated on topspin shots.

Comfort- The string was comfortable at the higher tensions. I am even considering going higher than what I used previously. Sweet spot felt big even at my tensions. Felt like a stiff multifilament. I did feel the need to use a vibration dampener, the strings pinged a lot.

Control- Precision of the shots was definitely way above average. Confidence in placing short angle shots was there. Could definitely place the serves into the corners with power and spin. Lots of feel at the net, volleys solid.

Durability- I usually cut strings out quickly. I used the string for about 3-5 hours and did notice some decrease in playability toward the end. I think that there was an overall loss in tension over that one week. Probably lasts at least as long as alu power, don't know about extended life, I cut it out too soon.

This was the best of the budget polys (<100/reel) that I have tried in the last year. I purchased a reel of 16 and a reel of 17. I liked it more in the prestige than in the babolat- probably related to the denser string pattern. For the open string pattern I may go with a stiffer more control oriented string or string above 60 lbs. For the price, I think that everyone should try it once. I am using it as my go to string for the time being and will be recommending it for my customers.

all thought i only play full bed poly i certainty could tell you that BM poly/multi would work better but i would wait someone else opinion....not an expert here.

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Great string in a full bed, and I would not play it any other way. I have never seen any point in diluting the Black Magic goodness with a hybrid. In addition to the usual poly control/spin characteristics, this string has loads of feel and is comfortable. No need whatsoever to hybrid IMO.

My review of genesis black magic 16
I'm a 30+ year old man who has played tennis since about the age of 5.
The three racquets I use the most are the Head Prestige Mid, Babolat Pure Storm Tour, and the Wilson prostaff six one 95. I play a mostly baseline game with average spin, focusing more on consistency and placement. I buy most of my strings from Tennis warehouse, this string I heard about through talk tennis.

Strung the prestige mid at 58 lbs, babolat at 60 lbs lockout. It was easy to weave this string compared to many other polys, but obviously more time consuming than ordinary synthetic gut. The feel of the string is close to RPM blast, smooth and slick.

Power- The string provided a lot of power. I noticed this particularly on my flat and kick serves with most serves hitting higher on the back fence. Flat ground strokes were excellent. String pocketed the ball before the ball fired. Hitting against a college player, I noticed good pocketing of the ball on the returns of hard shots. The power was not excessive...definitely much more muted than gut or gamma live wire.

Spin- The spin factor was average. I didn't notice a lot of extra kick on the serve. In comparison to Solinco tour bite there was less spin generated on topspin shots.

Comfort- The string was comfortable at the higher tensions. I am even considering going higher than what I used previously. Sweet spot felt big even at my tensions. Felt like a stiff multifilament. I did feel the need to use a vibration dampener, the strings pinged a lot.

Control- Precision of the shots was definitely way above average. Confidence in placing short angle shots was there. Could definitely place the serves into the corners with power and spin. Lots of feel at the net, volleys solid.

Durability- I usually cut strings out quickly. I used the string for about 3-5 hours and did notice some decrease in playability toward the end. I think that there was an overall loss in tension over that one week. Probably lasts at least as long as alu power, don't know about extended life, I cut it out too soon.

This was the best of the budget polys (<100/reel) that I have tried in the last year. I purchased a reel of 16 and a reel of 17. I liked it more in the prestige than in the babolat- probably related to the denser string pattern. For the open string pattern I may go with a stiffer more control oriented string or string above 60 lbs. For the price, I think that everyone should try it once. I am using it as my go to string for the time being and will be recommending it for my customers.

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I agree with most of your comments about this string.. It is a very good poly IMO and for the price, it is a no-brainer to at least try it once. Also, it plays pretty soft so its not a string that will blow off your shoulder.